Mary Ramia (right) is one of 260 Target employees made redundant at the head office in Geelong. Photo: Jason South

Among them was homewares analyst Mary Ramia, a single mother from Geelong, who left the office in tears after being told her job would go on June 28.

Ms Ramia said she had worked for Target for two years and finding another position of a similar level in Geelong would be difficult, as would supporting her two children. ''I've got a mortgage to pay,'' she said, crying. ''They've done all the things they've had to do … [but] why have I been chosen?''

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She said many others sacked had similar skills to her, making it hard to find a good job in Geelong.

All Target administration and management staff, some of whom worked in a St Kilda Road office or were on interstate business, were told to be in Geelong on Wednesday and Thursday for the sackings.

Target managing director Stuart Machin told staff in an email the changes would not be easy but would put ''the business back on a sustainable path to growth''. He implored staff to ''run the business as usual''.

In all, 217 permanent Target staff will go, as will 43 contractors. The sackings come after a sharp downturn in sales for Target, combined with tens of millions of dollars of unsold stock.

The job losses are another blow to Geelong after Ford said it was leaving after 88 years in the town, and news that Shell's oil refinery may close.

Mayor Keith Fagg said it had been a challenging period for his city. ''But I'm 100 per cent confident that our economy and community will continue to grow.'' He pointed to Prime Minister Julia Gillard's announcement that DisabilityCare would have its headquarters in Geelong. He had also asked the Napthine government to consider moving departments to the city.

I've got a mortgage to pay. They don't care. It's terrible in there today.

Australian Services Union branch secretary Ingrid Stitt said the state government needed to come up with a job creation plan for Geelong.

Opposition industrial relations spokeswoman Natalie Hutchins said the Napthine government must recognise Victoria was in ''a jobs crisis''.